Just a few days after the Conservative Popular Party swept into power in Spain, the British Government has underscored its long-standing assurance that it will not talk about Gibraltar’s sovereignty against the wishes of its people.
The PP said in its electoral manifesto that it would seek a return to bilateral talks with the UK over Gibraltar, but the message from Britain this week was clear, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.
David Lidington, Minister of State for Europe and NATO at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, set out Britain’s position in a response to a question in the House of Commons.
Tory MP Andrew Rosindell had asked if Britain had recently discussed the sharing of Gibraltar’s sovereignty with Spain.
Mr Lidington said Britain’s Foreign Minister, William Hague, had not discussed Gibraltar’s sovereignty with Spain.
“Any communication that we have with the Spanish Government about Gibraltar reflects our clear position on sovereignty, which is that the UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes and, furthermore, the UK will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content,” he added.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesNo dialogue, as usual :)
Dec 02nd, 2011 - 01:02 am 0Uk is breaching the Brussel process of 1986, in which Spain would open her side of the fence in exchance of bilateral talks on soverignty of Gibraltar.
Dec 02nd, 2011 - 05:20 am 0The constitution of the colony, on the self-determination of the colony is in direct breach of the Treaty of Utretch, Article 10, where it clearly says that Gibraltar can't never be independent.
Uk uphold Utretch by saying that she is honoring Treaty of Utretch, Article X of 1713, by saying that Gibraltar can't achieve independence without Spain's consent.
So what type of self-determination is this? Self-determination without the option of independence? that is an oxymoron !
Do the Kelpers in the Malvinas get the same deal? That they can't have independence if they wish because a 300 year old piece of paper says so?
I think the UN Charter on Human Rights is the ultimate document that will be referred to, you can't have a Treaty signed in 1713 trumping the Charter, if Gibraltar decided to opt for Independence I'm sure they would either defend the matter at the ICJ, or take the matter there themselves.
Dec 02nd, 2011 - 05:42 am 0In addition, just because the matter is a long way from a solution, doesn't mean the UK is breaching anything, the UK is observing the UN Charter, which again trumps any European process started in 1986.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!